As the title suggest, this novel focuses on children--particularly Jacob and Moses Stein. Their story begins the day that Parisian Jews were rounded up to the Velodrome where these boys outsmart the Nazis and French Gendarmes. Knowing they want to find their parents who had already left Paris in hopes of finding their way to safety, Jacob and Moses embark on a trip throughout France. Following the trail of their parents, they encounter numerous kind individuals who assist them on their journey as well as numerous incidents where they out-maneuver individuals set on capturing them. Their journey takes them through the little known Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, a French village where Protestant Christians actively hid many Jewish refugees and helped them to safety. Jacob and Moses' journey extends beyond France to reunite with their parents in Argentina.
Children of the Stars is told primarily from the viewpoint of Jacob Stein, the older brother. In addition to their harrowing journey, the story depicts his growth from a child to becoming a young adult. The responsibilities he took on of caring for his younger brother and seeking his parents, combined with the travesties of war, forced him to grow up quickly. While not hiding the atrocities of war, Children of the Stars does not include gratuitous adult situations.
Most of the time when I spy a World War II book, I'm going to read it although I often find the writing and coverage to be inconsistent and some topics to be overdone. Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar definitely does not fall into this category and needs to find a place on your to-be-read list. Appropriate for teens and could even be used as a read-aloud for middle-school students.
I was provided a complementary digital copy from NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishers. I am not required to give a positive opinion and all opinions are my own.
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